I was wondering... What do you all think about buying a prepackaged tool kit (Wiccan tools) ...? I know that part of collecting all the tools is a personalization process and I do have a few things of my own that I would substitute in out of a prepackaged kit, however, I like the idea of just getting everything altogether at once. I know it is a journey, but I don't know, this just seems like a good deal. It's got a lot of things for only $80...

And it looks like this although they note that not everything is displayed in the photo:

http://www.13moons.com/images/altar/NewFullAltarSet.jpg

Tanith

20-02-2012, 10:16 PM

The only issue I see with this is that the tools inside may not be the best quality out there; granted, you'll spend much more than $80 if you were to collect or purchase these things from spiritual stores separately for the intent of using them as tools.

I inherited a few of my tools; the others came to me over time (my athame I discovered when I was very young at a flea market). I have rarely gone out and bought tools for working magic.

However, if you are tight on budget and want all your tools now, then the toolkit may not be a bad option. I would suggest, however, first opening yourself up and look around. You'd be surprised what you might find.

Solitary Faery

20-02-2012, 10:27 PM

I've already got... And these are high quality:

-an athame made from a buck's horn that was made by native american for a friend of mine who became my boyfriend and passed it onto me for my practice

-a crystal ball and stand

-seasalt

-a pewter wand with a crystal tip from Abby Willowroot

-a marble bowl

-LOTS of candles and candle holders including ones to represent both The Goddess & The God

-lots of little figurines of my patron goddesses and patron gods

-a pewter pentacle that just sits in the middle as a design

-an altar cloth

Pretty much everything except a bell, a box, a chalice, an incense burner that holds self-lighting coals, and an inlay box

michael55

21-02-2012, 04:05 AM

I personally do not think it would be the best monetary investment... but there is only one way to truly find out, right?

EbonyDoe

21-02-2012, 06:09 AM

Personally I've amassed my supplies separately and (with the exception of my athame that was a birthday gift from one of my best friends) mostly on my own. My chalice is a simple, pretty, glass goblet from the local dollar store, most of my candles came unused from a garage sale, my altar was a desk I found that was going to be thrown away, incense I've gotten from stores and above mentioned friend sent me alot last year for Yule, she sent me my wand too which is a simple unadorned pine with a strange twist in the wood. Personally I've never seen the need to spend alot on supplies.

Quintessence

21-02-2012, 03:45 PM

If you have so many things already, I would pass on it.

The boxes, while nice, aren't that great. It is much more fun to make your own and it isn't hard. Craft stores carry all sorts of ready-to-finish wooden boxes. I've made several over the years and wood burning or painting them is a lot of fun.

Any heat-proof container can be used for self-lighting charcoals. I usually use my cauldron and set it up on a glass candle plate (charcoals burn VERY HOT so the glass plate keeps the feet of the cauldron from leaving scorch marks on my furniture!)

Any mug/glass can be used as a chalice. The one I use is a hand-made piece I picked up at a Renaissance faire. You can find all sorts of neat, decorative drinking glasses at various shops and stores. You can even buy a glass yourself and get some acid to etch a design of your choice into the surface. I haven't done glass etching myself yet, but I hear it is very easy to do.

A bell might be the more difficult thing to find. Personally, I much prefer singing bowls. You can find those at fair trade stores, co-ops, metaphysical shops.

EbonyDoe

21-02-2012, 03:49 PM

Actually Quintessence, depends on when and where you look for a bell. You might find them in stores around the winter holiday season. Personally mine came from a yard sale

Tanith

21-02-2012, 04:44 PM

My athame came from a flea market when I was VERY small. I wanted it really really bad and since it wasn't sharp my mom bought it for me. It has a goat or a ram's head carved on the end of the hilt and is perfect.

I have a staff rather than wand; it is a beautiful natural piece of a fallen limb from the woods behind my house, shaped perfectly for use not as a walking staff. I am going to smooth it out this summer.

The chalice I use is a crystal goblet that my mom used and that she engraved with runes. And a simple glass bowl is all I use for salt (and to hold my white candle)

Otherwise my tools are not quite "standard." I also have a large semi-cut piece of smoky quartz about five or six inches long that I found at a thrift store. It is beautiful and I set it out when I do spellwork or meditations. Lastly I have a handheld paper fan which I intended as a ritual tool to use for cleansing my space for any sort of Craft.

I don't really have a lot of tools; I don't do spellwork enough to need them daily. I prefer to use my own energy and direct it myself but using stones as enhancers or receptors. I use some sort of stone in all my workings and rarely use incense at all.

Quintessence

21-02-2012, 05:33 PM

Actually Quintessence, depends on when and where you look for a bell. You might find them in stores around the winter holiday season. Personally mine came from a yard sale

Interesting! I hadn't thought of that. The bell I have was obtained through somewhat unusual means and is the classic "school teacher" bell. Once used as a prop in life theater; it had been donated to our collection by someone and I have no idea where they got it.

EbonyDoe

21-02-2012, 05:52 PM

Mine you can kinda tell is an Xmas bell (is engraved on it but is very faded) and the handle is shaped like 2 candy canes but I like the aged look it has. I also have a string of glass bells that was an ornament of my grandmothers.

Solitary Faery

21-02-2012, 10:28 PM

Thank you everyone!

norseman

22-02-2012, 09:02 AM

Better to make your own "tools" - they have more energy than mass-produced shopware. Lots of tools, I just pick up as I wander.

Quintessence

22-02-2012, 02:56 PM

Do they really have "more" energy or is this our own personal biases showing? I guess I dispute that mass-produced anything has "less" energy than other things. I don't view energy as a quantity game. The quality of the energy will be different, sure; and within that, I don't mean quality as in one is "worse" than the other. Depends on what you like, what kind of Spirits you relate to best, etc.